NATIONAL:
1. Haldiram
Why in news: Delhi High Court has declared ‘Haldiram’ as well-known trademark.
Key points:
• High Court declared the ‘Haldiram’ as well as the red oval-shaped mark of the brand as a ‘well-known mark’ in respect of food items, restaurants and eateries in
terms of the Trade Marks Act (TMA), 1999.
• TMA defines well-known trademark as a mark which has become so as to the substantial segment of the public which uses such goods or receives such services that the use of such mark indicates a connection.
INTERNATIONAL:
1. Taiwan
Why in news: Taiwan rocked by earthquake of magnitude 7.4, biggest in 25 years
Key points:
• Quake occurred as result of reverse faulting near boundary between Eurasia and Philippine Sea plates.
• A reverse fault is a split between two sections of rock in Earth's crust, caused by compressional forces.
• Notably, Taiwan is prone to earthquakes as it lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire” or Circum-Pacific Belt.
Value Addition:
• Ring of Fire is a horseshoe-shaped string of volcanoes and sites of seismic activity around the edges of Pacific Ocean.
• Roughly 90% of all earthquakes occur along Ring of Fire, and it has 75% of all active volcanoes on Earth.
2. Dornier 228
Why in news: India delivered two state-of-the-art Dornier 228 aircraft to Guyana.
Key points:
• It is a twin-engine turboprop, multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft.
• Manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
• It can be deployed for tasks like surveillance, gathering information, medical rescue, and transporting goods.
• Maldives and Sri Lanka have received these aircraft from India.
3. Romania
Why in news: Romania unveiled world’s most powerful LASER.
Key points:
• This LASER is based on the groundbreaking inventions of Nobel Physics Prize winners Gerard Mourou and Donna Strickland.
• This breakthrough technology employing Nobel-winning Chirped-Pulse Amplification promises revolutionary applications in healthcare and space.
4. NATO
Why in news: NATO Celebrated 75 Years Of Collective Defense Across Europe And North America
Key points:
• NATO founding treaty was signed on April 4, 1949, in Washington.
• NATO was founded on a single, solemn promise: An attack on one ally is an attack on all.
REPORT:
1. "Measuring the Emissions and Energy Footprint of the ICT Sector: Report
Why in news: The report has been jointly released by International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the World Bank
Key points:
• It presents the energy and emissions profile of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector and assesses the 30 highest emitting countries (including
India) for telecommunications.
• Rapid expansion of Digitalization is requiring more energy and resulting in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions.
• At least 1.7% of global emissions stem from the ICT sector.
• One-third of the world’s population (2.6 billion people), remain unconnected to the internet connecting whom will drive emissions even higher.
• ICT sector accounted for 60% of renewable power purchases in 2021, pointing to potential avenues to abate increasing emissions.
ECONOMY:
1. Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR)
Why in news: India plans to build its first privately managed SPR by 2029-30
Key points:
• The project will be overseen by Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL), a special purpose vehicle created by the government for building and operating SPR.
• Location: Padur (Karnataka), also second site is planned in Odisha.
• Current SPRs in India: Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Mangalore & Padur in Karnataka.
2. RBI Monetary Policy
Why in news: RBI Monetary Policy, Repo Rate To Remain Steady For Seventh Time
Key points:
• RBI Monetary Policy Committee has decided by majority 5:1 to keep policy rates unchanged.
RBI Repo Rate are as under:
• Policy Repo Rate: 6.50% (Unchanged)
• Standing Deposit Facility (SDF): 6.25% (Unchanged)
• Marginal Standing Facility Rate: 6.75% (Unchanged)
• Bank Rate: 6.75% (Unchanged)
• Fixed Reverse Repo Rate: 3.35% (Unchanged)
• CRR: 4.50% (Unchanged)
• SLR: 18.00% (Unchanged)
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY:
1. S.A.R.A.H.
Why in news: World Health Organization unveiled a digital health promoter prototype S.A.R.A.H
Key points:
• S.A.R.A.H. is a Smart AI Resource Assistant for Health which uses new language models and cutting-edge technology.
• It can provide information across major health topics, including healthy habits and mental health.
• It aims to provide an additional tool for people to realize their rights to health.
2. PRATUSH Radio Telescope
Why in news: Researchers from Bengaluru’s Raman Research Institute (RRI) have started work on PRATUSH
Key points:
• PRATUSH stands for Probing ReionizATion of the Universe using Signal from Hydrogen.
• PRATUSH is currently funded for pre-project studies by ISRO.
• It is a future space radio telescope that will be placed in lunar orbit.
• Objectives: Revealing the transformation of the Universe after the Big Bang and determining when the first stars formed.
IMPORTANT DAY:
1. National Maritime Day 2024
Why in news: National Maritime Day is observed annually on April 5 in India.
Key points:
• It is a day dedicated to recognizing the importance of the maritime sector in the country’s international trade and economic growth.
• On April 5, 1919, the first Indian commercial ship, SS Loyalty, embarked on a journey to the United Kingdom, breaking the British monopoly on sea routes.
• The theme for National Maritime Day 2024 is “Navigating the future: safety first!”
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